As long as you follow a pattern of an actual tourist, and not someone trying to live here long term as a tourist, you'll be fine. That involves staying at least 5-7 days or longer in other countries surrounding Thailand, not the same place everytime either. There are lots of long term tourists that base out of Bangkok, traveling all over South East Asia, for years. As soon as immigration decides you are trying to stay here long term as a tourist they will refuse entry.

@AliJames ****

yes, but you were using the wrong terminology, and with visa and extensions it can avoid confusion. Of course you can get the 90 day type O inside Thailand, but you need the money in the bank here to do it. Then the only way to keep it if you leave Thailand and come back is by buying a re-entry permit.

Just remember though, you need more money in the bank for the DTV, bt500,000, than you do for the type O one year extension, at just bt400,000.

Anonymous participant here is a route if you are serious, and want to live here the rest of your life. First, enroll in university, and go to school to fluently learn Thai language, and to an extent formal history, and culture. This will at the very least give you formal language skills and cultural understanding at the Thai level. A good talent to have if living here, and in no way will it affect your SSDI. You can do this for 4 years, as long as you pass your classes. During this time, and I am assuming you are single, you will meet many educated single Thai women. If you get married you can get a long term marriage visa extension, and have serious non-judgemental companionship, and realistically for the rest of your life, and it will not affect your SSDI at all. Even with a disability you are very valuable as husband material, and it doesn't affect your SSDI. At the very least it gives you four years to act on the options you find for long term stay here. The DTV is not your best option at this point.

@AliJames ****

when done inside Thailand it is called an extension as you can not get a visa inside Thailand. Also you need to buy either a single entry, or a multi-entry re-entry permit to be able to leave the country, and come back on the same extension type. What you did before no longer exists so get all of that out of your head. You need bt400,000+ in your bank account. There are no longer any exceptions to this.

@AliJames ****

not for the initial 90 day extension. For the one year extension yes, plus the rest of the documents.

@AliJames ****

you need a bank statement letter showing at least bt400,000 in a Thai bank account in your name only, copies of your marriage license and registration documents, copies of your wife's ID card, and the house book she's listed in, and copies of your passport, a passport photo, and the application form. They will give you the full list of required documents for your one year extension.

@Sé ****

umm, why would your Thai friends need to do border bounces? Lolol

@Maxim **********

actually, and you should know this already, it's called a type O extension based on Thai wife. Not using the correct terminology confuses people. The same with Visiting Thai family. That's what it is called. To use anything else confuses people.

@Maxim **********

he's on a single entry he received without having bt400,000 in the bank, and from the sound of it he still doesn't have the bt400,000 now required to get another type O 90 day visa from outside of Thailand, and thus doesn't have the bt400,000 to get the one year extension.